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How to Treat Insomnia and Pain Together
The relationship between chronic pain and sleep disorders, such as insomnia, is more complex than it may seem. And if they exist at the same time, it’s important to treat them both.
Pain and Insomnia Have a Bidirectional Relationship
Research in the last few years has established a bidirectional relationship between chronic pain and sleep issues/disorders. Specifically:
- Pain can be a cause and consequence of sleep deficiency.
- Sleep can contribute to and exacerbate pain.
Moreover, the same study that outlined the above, also notes the following findings:
- Chronic pain is highly comorbid with deficiencies in sleep duration or quality
- Pain can disrupt sleep
- Short/disturbed sleep can lower pain thresholds
- Poor sleep can result in increases in the development or exacerbation of spontaneous pain symptoms
This relationship can be especially problematic for individuals with chronic pain, and it’s a cycle that can be amplified over time if both issues are not treated effectively.
Treating Pain and Sleep Together
While there are a lot of options for treating acute and chronic pain, and insomnia, individually, not many exist that can approach both conditions.
Alpha-Stim M is unique in that it can actually treat both pain and insomnia.
How does Alpha-Stim M do this?
The Alpha-Stim M includes handheld Smart Probes or AS-Trode self-adhesive electrodes for site-specific MET pain therapy, as well as earclips that provide cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES)—to relieve common comorbidities associated with pain, including anxiety, insomnia, and depression*.
Why is Treating Both Sleep and Pain Important?
According to an article in U.S. News & World Report, research from the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders “suggests that an array of sleep problems – including difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, early awakening, non-restorative sleep and fatigue – are important predictors for the future development of (chronic widespread pain) both over a five-year and an 18-year span.”
Poor sleep quality is linked to increased risks for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and more. This new research suggests that fatigue and pain may actually be caused by abnormalities in pain systems in the body, rather than merely sleep issues as was once thought.
In short, the relationship between sleep and chronic pain is one that researchers are still trying to understand; but what is absolutely clear is that quality sleep is essential to your physical and mental wellbeing in countless ways.
If you suffer from chronic pain and insomnia, you know that it can be a vicious cycle: the lack of sleep can exacerbate your pain, which then keeps you awake, which can lead to depression and anxiety about being tired and in pain. And since it can be dangerous to take both pain medications and anti-anxiety medications at the same time, it may feel like you are stuck in this pattern forever. Learn more about how Alpha-Stim can help you treat both sleep and pain conditions so you can take charge of your life again.
Take Charge of Your Life with Alpha-stim
Schedule a telehealth visit with a health care professional today to get started with Alpha-Stim M to treat insomnia and pain.
*FDA cleared for anxiety, insomnia and pain only, with approval for depression outside of the United States.
